Edmund Neville Nevill facts for kids

Edmund Neison (born 27 August 1849 – died 14 January 1940), whose real name was Edmund Neville Nevill, was a British scientist. He was very interested in the Moon and wrote an important book about it called The Moon and the Condition and Configuration of its Surface in 1876. Later, he moved to Durban, South Africa, and helped set up the Natal Observatory there. He also wrote a popular book about astronomy.

Early Life and Soldiering

Edmund Nevill was born in Beverley, England, on 27 August 1849. He went to good schools, including Harrow School and New College, Oxford. When he was younger, he even volunteered to serve with French forces during the Franco-Prussian War, a big conflict in Europe at the time.

Life in London (1871-1882)

In 1871, Nevill came back to London. He worked as a reporter for a newspaper called The Standard and also wrote about theatre. But his real passions were astronomy (studying space) and chemistry (studying materials).

He was wealthy enough to build his own private observatory at his home in Hampstead. He became well-known as an amateur astronomer, especially for his deep interest in the Moon. He was elected a member of the Royal Astronomical Society, a group for astronomers. For some reason, he used the name Edmund Neison for his scientific work, thinking it was better not to use his old family name for a science career. He later went back to using Nevill in 1888.

In 1876, he published his famous book, The Moon and the Condition and Configuration of its Surface. This book was very important for people who studied the Moon, especially amateur astronomers. It helped spark a lot of interest in selenography, which is the study of the Moon's surface. Even today, people who love studying the Moon still value his book.

Nevill also became a member of the Chemical Society. He helped create the Institute of Chemistry and served on its council for many years. Later in his life, he even worked as a government Chemist in Natal, South Africa.

Understanding the Moon's Movement

At the time, scientists were trying to make very accurate predictions about the Moon's position. The existing tables, called Hansen's Tables, weren't always correct. Another astronomer, Simon Newcomb, found that these tables had some errors.

Edmund Nevill also worked on this problem. In 1877, he published a paper that helped confirm some of Newcomb's findings about how the planet Jupiter affects the Moon's movement. Nevill showed he was very good at complex mathematical calculations needed to understand the Moon's orbit.

Life in Durban (1882-1912)

In the late 1800s, scientists were very interested in transits of Venus, which are rare events where Venus passes directly in front of the Sun. Observing these events from different parts of the world helped scientists measure the distance to the Sun.

In 1882, there was another transit of Venus. Durban, in South Africa, was considered a good place to observe it. Local leaders, like Harry Escombe, wanted to build an observatory there. David Gill, a famous astronomer in South Africa, agreed. Funds were raised to build the Natal Observatory.

They bought a good telescope and other instruments. Gill sent a telegram to Nevill, offering him the job of Government Astronomer. Nevill accepted immediately and sailed to Durban, arriving on 27 November 1882.

Challenges at the Observatory

When Nevill took over the observatory on 1 December 1882, he found many problems. The dome that covered the telescope was stuck because of too much paint. The telescope itself was hard to move because of the salty air. Some equipment was missing or didn't fit.

Despite these challenges, Nevill and his team managed to observe the transit of Venus just five days later, thanks to good weather.

What They Studied

At the Natal Observatory, Nevill and his team mainly focused on the Moon. They made observations to:

• Check theories about the Moon's movement.
• Study how the Moon's surface features affected its apparent position.
• Measure the Moon's real wobbles (called libration).

They also observed the weather, provided accurate time signals, and looked for comets and other unusual sky events. Nevill even had four ladies join his team as "astronomical computers" to help with the calculations.

Nevill wrote a major paper suggesting corrections to the existing Moon tables, using over 1500 observations he made. He had big plans for more mathematical studies of the Moon's orbit, but he faced money problems.

Tidal Work

In 1885, Nevill also started working on tides for the Natal Harbour Board. He used scientific methods to create tide tables for the area, which were published in 1888.

Money Troubles and New Roles

The observatory often struggled with funding. In 1887, there wasn't even enough money for salaries. The "zealous assistance of four ladies" (one of whom he later married) kept much of the work going.

In 1888, Nevill was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, a very high honor for a scientist. He was also appointed Government Chemist and Official Assayer for Natal. This meant he had to perform chemical tests for the government, including helping in cases of suspected poisoning.

His later work on the Moon, which included preparing new lunar tables, was never published because of the lack of funds in Durban. The observatory focused more on routine observations, and it finally closed in 1911. Nevill then returned to Britain and retired.

Family Life

In 1894, when he was 45, Nevill married Mabel Grant. She was one of the "four ladies" who had helped him at the observatory.

Retirement (1912-1940)

After retiring, Nevill lived in Eastbourne, England. He was a very active person, enjoying lawn tennis. He also became very interested in the history of Babylonia, an ancient civilization.

Even though he was a Fellow of the Royal Society, he rarely attended their meetings and was not well-known personally to many of the other Fellows. He didn't like photography, so there are no known pictures of him.

A crater on the Moon is named Neison in his honor.

Edmund Nevill passed away in 1940. He was survived by his wife, Mabel, and their three children.